Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

I saw this meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and I like this week's topic.  What are the top 10 books you can't believe you've never read?  This isn't actually in any order, but it is 10 books I haven't read.  Some of them are ones I personally am surprised I haven't read and the others are ones other people are surprised to find out I haven't read.  I can't think of 10 in either category so I'm mixing them together.

  1. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I've had this book for years and every once in awhile I see it on the shelf and think "I should read that.  It's short so I could probably finish it today."  And then I shrug my shoulders and go back to whatever intelligent activity I was currently engaged in, like watching Wipeout!  I will get around to it eventually, I swear!
  2. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.  This is another book I've had for years, at least since elementary school and yet I never picked it up.  I think I may have missed the boat on this one, like I did with E.T.  I never saw that movie and I think now that I missed it as a child it's not going to mean much to be as an adult.  I may let this one pass me by but I do own it so who knows.
  3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  My dad bought me this book when I was a child and for the most part I love the new books he introduces me to.  He hit home runs with Catch 22 and Slaughterhouse 5 but I never picked up this one.  I tried it around the time I tried reading the rest of the LotR trilogy.  I think I skimmed 2 pages and then quit.
  4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  I recently bought a copy of this book because I had already read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies twice and I thought it was stupid that I'd never read P&P.
  5. Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  In my high school English class we were split up into groups.  Some people read Lord of the Flies, some read All's Quiet on the Western Front and my group read 1984.  I plan on reading this one.  Eventually...
  6. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.  I've taken several Shakespeare classes throughout high school and college and this play just never came up in any of them.  I even took an entire class only on Shakespeare's tragedies but we never read this one.  I guess this didn't fit into the professor's definition, which was "a dream of innocence realized by a fact of guilt that acquiesces therein".  How I miss academia.
  7. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.  I haven't actually read any of the Narnia series but I include this one because I loved the animated movie version.  I can't find when that one came out but I do know it's not the 1979 version.  That box looks way more colorful and happy than I remember the movie being.  I have one of the books on my shelf from when my brother read it, but I never got around to it.
  8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  Like P&P, I've never read this one.  I've never been a big fan of British Regency/Victorian lit so normally this wouldn't be a surprise that I haven't read it.  Except for the fact that the first of my favorite book series, the Thursday Next series, is called The Eyre Affair and many of the characters play big parts in the book.
  9. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde.  This one I can't believe I haven't yet read because I can't believe my self restraint.  I love Fforde and have been waiting for this book to come out...in paperback.  I know I like paperbacks better than hardcover so I'm trying to hold out.  I almost caved once (it was a signed copy!!!) but I held fast.
  10. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.  I haven't actually read any of Hemingway's work and this is a travesty I've been meaning to fix.  Just as soon as I get through all of this other very important work.
What are some books you can't believe you've never read?

Comments (27)

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It's surprising how Dr. Jekyl was so different from the movie. Of course, I love Jane Eyre and P&P. Didn't care too much for Lord of the Flies. #3 is on my list. I have not heard of #9 but will look for that. Thanks.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
You've got to read Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. I read it in one sitting - it's really good!
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
I just found out about Jasper Fforde's series (love love LOVE!) and I can't imagine reading the Eyre Affair without having some sort of background with the Bronte book. You absolutely need to read it! Plus, reading the scenes where Thursday 'interfered' should be all kinds of amusing!
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
You've never seen E.T.? How is that even possible?
I've read The Eyre Affair, but somehow I've never gotten around to reading the rest of the series. I really should sometime.
(I've never seen E.T. either)

It took me at least five tries to finish Jane Eyre, but I'm so glad I did.
I haven't read Shades of Grey yet, but like you I've loved his other novels so I'll definitely get to it.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Haha I know, it's crazy. I missed out on E.T. and now I think I missed the boat. It's never going to be the movie for me it was for so many other people my age.
If you get the chance, you should read the rest of the Thursday Next Series. The Well of Lost Plots is my favorite
I'm a new follower, but a lot of these books would also be ones I've not yet read. Your comment about Shakespeare makes me miss academia, too. Sadly we didn't have an all-tragedy class, but I loved the class we did have on Shakespeare and the War of the Roses.

tediousandbrief.blogspot.com
1 reply · active 761 weeks ago
OMGosh...read Hemingway, but don't start with the Old Man and the Sea. I started with it and it nearly put me off him. Start with The Sun Also Rises or something of that nature!!
1 reply · active 761 weeks ago
Seriously...you're not missing much by not having read Hemingway. Personally, I think he's better in short story form. The Old Man & the Sea is fairly short, but my high school English class ruined it for me (if there was any chance of me liking it...). We spent eons looking for metaphors on every page (possibly every paragraph, it's such a blur) :-).

Here's mine: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/top-te...
1 reply · active 761 weeks ago
I would have been with you on the P&P thing up until last week! I finally read it. So good! I hope you get to it soon!
1 reply · active 761 weeks ago
I think it's funny that you've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies twice and have yet to read P&P...life is just that way sometimes! thanks for adding a giggle to my day. :)
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Wow! This is the first of many of these lists today where I've actually read almost all of the books on it. I have read 9 of 10 - the one lone ranger being Shades of Grey (though I hear great things about Fforde).

I'll give a quick one-word breakdown on my opinion of each of your "to read" choices. Not that you care - but it's the mood I'm in:

1. Interesting
2. Underwhelming
3. Awesome!
4. Worthy
5. Favorite
6. Good
7. Meh
8. Amazing
9. N/A
10. Okay

Wow - such high-class reviewing from me tonight. ;)
1 reply · active 761 weeks ago
Jeckyll and Hyde is by Stevenson? Oh no. I made a vow when I came to my school, named after RLS, that I would read all his better-known books. I've now read Treasure Island and A Child's Garden of Verses, but I've yet to read Kidnapped and, now, J&H. Oh no.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
I know it isn't Tuesday but I'd love it if you'd take a look at my list, too. http://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/ten-b...

Now let me comment on yours:
1. This is on a list of mine somewhere, too
2. My favorite book from childhood.
3. A classic. There are so many reference in our culture to this book.
4. My favorite Jane Austen, but I'm a huge fan
5. This one is on my list of ten, too
6. I can't believe I haven't read this Shakespeare, either...should be on my list but I don't like reading plays.
7. I am a huge Narnia fan. You are right. This is the one to start with.
8. Good but too long
9. I've only read one Jasper Fforde (The Eyre Affair); I liked it but it was funky.
10. Classic. Boys love it.
brandileigh2003's avatar

brandileigh2003 · 758 weeks ago

I haven't read any except a wrinkle in time from your list.

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